Is it really that unusual for schools to let girls wear pants?

[Juniper]

I've looked into the forum archives before to see what the whole school uniform situation is like, and while I like the idea of most schools letting kids go barefoot most of the time, (one of my kiddos has super wide feet!) I was disappointed to see that some schools have strictly gendered uniforms.

This article would imply that prohibiting girls from choosing pants (and boys from choosing kilts!) might actually be the norm, since it's worth a news article when a school offers options:
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti...ectid=11822313

One of my girls is a staunch pants/shorts wearer. Besides the practicality/comfort issues and the right to equal treatment, I should think it's all very confusing for any non-gender-conforming kids in strict schools.

I imagine many of your kids were already used to uniforms before the move, since they are pretty common worldwide, but it will be an adjustment for us Californians :-) Luckily we started reading Harry Potter recently, so maybe that will make uniforms seem a little bit cool, hehe...

What has your experience been with gendered uniform policy, and what area do you live in?

[Oregonkiwi]

Each school has their own uniform policy so it's difficult to generalise - but I will anyway - yes school uniforms do tend to be strictly gendered - BUT - there are definitely moves away from that.

My personal experience - my son has attended 4 schools (in Auckland):
Primary school 1 had a completely unisex uniform, everyone wore the same shorts or trackpants and polo shirt.
Primary school 2, no uniform.

Intermediate school, girls wore skirts or what the school calls "culottes/skort" (skirt/short hybrid), boys wore shorts.

High school, girls wear skirts, boys wear shorts (or trousers in winter), BUT in the past week the school has updated the uniform policy to be gender neutral: "Our Uniform offers a unisex approach, supporting the diversity of our student population. The uniform should be neat, clean, tidy, smart and worn as designed. Our uniform has a wide range of items to choose from so all students should be able to find a suitable combination." Instead of listing a separate girl and boy uniform, now it says "skirt or trousers or shorts". And Year 13 has no uniform.

It's really going to depend on the school you choose. Some schools have a more flexible approach than others.

Also the barefeet thing is (in my experience) only at primary school, and high school is strict about shoes and socks all the time.

[kiwieagle]

Yes to everything Oregonkiwi has said. My children don't wear a uniform as their school is mufti but my 8 year old daughter is a strict pants/shorts wearer. We have talked a bit about HS uniforms and we're prepared to go to battle over it. Hopefully in 5 years, the high schools will come into the 21st century.

[Oregonkiwi]

Hopefully in 5 years, the high schools will come into the 21st century.

yeah, I think they'll get there It's probably already quietly happening more than we realise - my son's high school didn't make a big deal of the new unisex uniform rules, they just said in a newsletter "we've updated the policy".

[newarrival]

Our kids were not used to school uniforms (coming from Germany), but accepted them without any issue... Three boys, one girl- we didn't have any discussions about not wearing a skirt.

[hoegaandit]

Don't know about other places but in Wellington two High Schools don't have uniforms - Onslow and Wellington High. So of course girls could wear shorts if they wanted in either school.

[Juniper]

Cool, great to hear all the testimonials so far! My eight year old is fussy about comfort, getting her out of leggings in the first place probably isn't going to be so fun lol

What age does "primary" school end? I looked up "mufti," but what's it short for?

[Oregonkiwi]

Mufti isn't short for anything, it means the opposite of uniform, I think it's an old British army word?

Primary school ends with Year 6 (about age 10), intermediate school is Year 7&8 (about age 11 -12) then high school is Years 9 - 13. Some primary schools include Years 7&8 and are called "full primary". Private schools do their own thing, often going from year 1 -13 or year 6 - 13 http://www.education.govt.nz/home/education-in-nz/

[mylesdw]

Mufti isn't short for anything, it means the opposite of uniform, I think it's an old British army word?

Almost certainly Indian - from the days of British army there. There are a few words in everyday use from that period, including bungalow and jodhpurs.

[girlwithanewf]

Mufti day is a wear your own clothes to school day. Funnily enough, the word 'mufti' is no longer in general use in the UK, they say non-uniform days.